[peck420]

llama66 llama66:

These countries border the North Atlantic...

Brazil borders the North Atlantic.

[DrCaleb]

stratos stratos:

Now Germany gets screwed in an initial onslaught by Russia and gets rescued by NATO and got to spend all that money that went to NATO on other things prior to any war. Not as dumb a plan as a first glance might make you think.

There is also the line of thought that a spending reduction signals the threat Germany puts in Russia. They are barely holding Crimea, and can't advance in Ukraine - and Ukraine isn't that powerful a country.

No point in spending yourself into debt for an attack that isn't likely to come.

[llama66]

peck420 peck420:

llama66 llama66:

These countries border the North Atlantic...

Brazil borders the North Atlantic.

One state borders the North Atlantic. Brazil is overwhelmingly a southern hemisphere nation. Using that logic then we'll need to allow
Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritana, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinnea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, French Guinea, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, and Bermuda to join because they are are all in the North Atlantic.

[PluggyRug]

llama66 llama66:

peck420 peck420:

llama66 llama66:

These countries border the North Atlantic...

Brazil borders the North Atlantic.

One state borders the North Atlantic. Brazil is overwhelmingly a southern hemisphere nation. Using that logic then we'll need to allow
Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritana, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinnea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, French Guinea, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, and Bermuda to join because they are are all in the North Atlantic.

You forgot Oshawa.

[llama66]

We don't speak of Oshawa

[BartSimpson]

I'm very tempted to moderate all mention of Oshawa.

[stratos]

but Oshawa is so fun to type. Oshawa, oshawa, OsHaWa, and in so many interesting ways.

[llama66]

*writes names on lists*

[stratos]

llama66 llama66:

*writes names on lists*

We got you on our lists. (evil gleam in their eyes as they say that)

[Freakinoldguy]

stratos stratos:

Thinking on this for a fast minute. This move by Germany is not as dumb as it first appears. They know they are surrounded by NATO countries. They know that if Russia does attack Germany NATO will not stand by and let it slide they would react. Under the old war plans for VS the USSR Germany would most likely get run over after a week long delaying action. Probably would still happen today if Russia attacked. So Germany is screwed in an initial onslaught by Russia and gets liberated by NATO ALLIES.

Now Germany gets screwed in an initial onslaught by Russia and gets rescued by NATO and got to spend all that money that went to NATO on other things prior to any war. Not as dumb a plan as a first glance might make you think.

If Germany doesn't want to pony up it's fair share of NATO costs, the Baltic and Eastern European members should take some of the money they're paying to protect the ingrate Germans and build a walled off corridor that they could rent to the Russians if they decide they want to have a reenactment and conquer Germany again.

[bootlegga]

stratos stratos:

Yesterday Trump talked about seeing if Brazil could become part of NATO. Yeah first thing people say is dumb idiot doesn't he know the N stands for North. My response is yes but now tell me where Greece is connected to the Atlantic. They stare at me all strange. Then I bring up how Turkey is in NATO and their eyes go blank. I then mention that middle European countries have joined and others want to join. The same people that called Trump dumb run away crying.

Italy was a founding member of NATO and it doesn't border on the north Atlantic. The entire point of the alliance was to contain the Soviets, not to restrict it just to states bordering the North Atlantic.

Greece and Turkey were obviously added as part of that containment, and Turkey had US nukes stationed on its soil during a significant part of the Cold War.

I don't have a problem adding Brazil or Japan or Australia or any other western style democracy to its membership, but I would say that a name change is probably in order. Something like the Western Alliance or something like that.

[peck420]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Italy was a founding member of NATO and it doesn't border on the north Atlantic.

Interesting and useless factoid of the day:

There is no North Atlantic requirement in NATO documentation, in regards to membership. It is a European requirement. Per the existing documents, the only non-Europeans allowed are Canada and USA, due to being founding members.

New membership is covered under Article 10, The North Atlantic Treaty:
Soucre:https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_17120.htm

$1:

Article 10

The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States of America. The Government of the United States of America will inform each of the Parties of the deposit of each such instrument of accession.

We tend to assume that it only applies to countries that border the North Atlantic (technically north of the Tropic of Cancer), but that is the primary operational area of NATO, not the requirement for membership, as covered by Articles 5 & 6.

[stratos]

peck420 peck420:

bootlegga bootlegga:

Italy was a founding member of NATO and it doesn't border on the north Atlantic.

Interesting and useless factoid of the day:

There is no North Atlantic requirement in NATO documentation, in regards to membership. It is a European requirement. Per the existing documents, the only non-Europeans allowed are Canada and USA, due to being founding members.

New membership is covered under Article 10, The North Atlantic Treaty:
Soucre:https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_17120.htm

$1:

Article 10

The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the Government of the United States of America. The Government of the United States of America will inform each of the Parties of the deposit of each such instrument of accession.

We tend to assume that it only applies to countries that border the North Atlantic (technically north of the Tropic of Cancer), but that is the primary operational area of NATO, not the requirement for membership, as covered by Articles 5 & 6.

So is Turkey in Europe? That area has been called Asia Minor for a very long time.

[peck420]

stratos stratos:

So is Turkey in Europe? That area has been called Asia Minor for a very long time.

Looking for more interesting but useless!!!

Lol.

About 3% of Turkey's land mass is 'Europe', the remainder 'Asia'. Istanbul is technically in both! The Dardanelles, Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus Straights (all together the Turkish Straights) is the divisor between Asia and Europe.

Istanbul spans both sides of the Bosphorus, which is why it is technically in both continents.

[stratos]

peck420 peck420:

stratos stratos:

So is Turkey in Europe? That area has been called Asia Minor for a very long time.

Looking for more interesting but useless!!!

Lol.

About 3% of Turkey's land mass is 'Europe', the remainder 'Asia'. Istanbul is technically in both! The Dardanelles, Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus Straights (all together the Turkish Straights) is the divisor between Asia and Europe.

Istanbul spans both sides of the Bosphorus, which is why it is technically in both continents.

Yep and so even more confusing on just what NATO really stands for.